Love of Bavarian food, culture sustains pope's friendship with banker

Published: 2005-05-18

MUNICH, Germany (CNS) -- The 27-year friendship between Pope Benedict XVI and a German banker was sustained through a mutual love of Bavarian food and culture -- and multiple drives across the Alps. Munich banker Thaddaeus Joseph Kuehnel said that in 1982, when then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger left his post as archbishop of Munich and Freising to become head of the Vatican's doctrinal congregation, the cardinal seemed sad about leaving his home. "I told him that he need not be sad, I would bring Bavaria to Rome for him," Kuehnel told Catholic News Service in May. This started a series of cross-continental journeys of Bavarian food, drink and cultural items. "For over 20 years," Kuehnel said, "I have been delivering all those items he misses about Bavaria: Adelholzener fruit nectar; Bavarian sausages from his favorite restaurant, Franziskaner, where we often dined together; Advent wreaths and genuine Bavarian Christmas trees."

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .